The New York Giants have the No. 5 pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, which everyone expects them to use to give Jaxson Dart another offensive weapon to work with. However, one ESPN analyst believes head coach John Harbaugh’s history with the Baltimore Ravens will lead him to take Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
While the Giants could favor selecting Jordyn Tyson or Carnell Tate, ESPN analyst Field Yates sees Harbaugh pushing for Downs. Yates believes Harbaugh’s success with Ed Reed and Kyle Hamilton in Baltimore will convince him to build a similar foundation in New York.
“This is my first curveball, as many early mock drafts have linked the Giants to a wide receiver or offensive tackle in this spot,” Yates wrote. “Those are completely understandable, especially if Wan’Dale Robinson and/or Jermaine Eluemunor depart in free agency. But Downs has my attention as the first pick of the John Harbaugh era.
“Perhaps no coach better understands the value of top-flight safety play, as Harbaugh coached Ed Reed and Kyle Hamilton in Baltimore. While the Giants have starters in Jevon Holland and Tyler Nubin, Downs has the upside to change an entire defense as a force multiplier with his deep range and in-the-box skills.”
ESPN expects Giants, John Harbaugh to break draft trend
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Downs is the clear No. 1 safety in the class, and the best prospect of the position in years. However, positional bias could prevent the Giants from selecting him in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
As talented as Downs is — some have him as the best overall player in the class — teams have historically refrained from drafting safeties early in the first round. Hamilton, who went No. 14 in 2022, is the only safety taken in the top 15 in the last decade.
Hamilton’s impact on Harbaugh’s defense convinced the veteran coach to double down on the position in 2025, when the Ravens selected Malaki Starks with their first-round pick. Starks did not emerge as Hamilton did as a rookie, but he showed enough promise to be confident in his growth going forward.
If there is a coach willing to break the trend, it would be Harbaugh. Likewise, if there is a safety with enough promise to convince teams to spend a top-10 pick on him, it is Downs.